Robert Cialdini quotes: wise words from the man who wrote “the books” on influence and persuasion, Dr. Robert B. Cialdini.
“People seem to be more motivated by the thought of losing something than by the thought of gaining something of equal value.”
“There is an obligation to give, an obligation to receive, and an obligation to repay.”
“All things being equal, you root for your own sex, your own culture, your own locality. And what you want to prove is that you are better than the other person. Whomever you root for represents you; and when he wins, you win.”
“When you don’t pay direct attention to something, your brain puts little importance on it.”
“Persons who go through a great deal of trouble or pain to attain something tend to value it more highly than persons who attain the same thing with a minimum of effort.”
“No matter what industry you’re in, the ability to influence others is crucial. Your professional success can rely on it.”
“A well-known principle of human behavior says that when we ask someone to do us a favor we will be more successful if we provide a reason. People simply like to have reasons for what they do.”
“To change minds a pre-suader must also change states of mind.”
“We like people who are similar to us. This fact seems to hold true whether the similarity is in the area of opinions, personality traits, background, or lifestyle.”
“The human mind can hold only one thing in conscious awareness at a time.”
“There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking.”
“When we like someone, we are more receptive to their ideas.”
“Our best evidence of what people truly feel and believe comes less from their words than from their deeds.”
“If what you do before your request is seen as a ploy to get a yes, your relationship could pay the price.”
“Freedoms once granted will not be relinquished without a fight.”
“Since 95% of the people are imitators and only 5% initiators, people are persuaded more by the actions of others than by any proof we can offer.”
“There is a natural human tendency to dislike a person who brings us unpleasant information, even when that person did not cause the bad news. The simple association with it is enough to stimulate our dislike.”
“Surveys can increase demand. Asking a question the right way can put your customers in the right frame of mind to buy what you’re selling.”
“What is social proof? A phenomenon where people assume the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behavior.”
“The more you identify yourself as being a member of a particular group, the more unified you will feel with others in the group.”
“The joy is not in experiencing a scarce commodity but in possessing it.”
“Apparently we have such an automatically positive reaction to compliments that we can fall victim to someone who uses them in an obvious attempt to win our favor.”
“The most successful persuaders spend more time crafting what to say or do just before making their request.”
“When attention is directed toward something, everything else pales in comparison. This is your moment of power.”
“We seem to assume that if a lot of people are doing the same thing, they must know something we don’t.”
“Reciprocity is part of a healthy ongoing relationship. Nurture it by giving before asking for a request.”
“Anyone who knows how to time a request correctly, will become more successful.”
“We all fool ourselves from time to time in order to keep our thoughts and beliefs consistent with what we have already done or decided.”
“Persuasion, unlike artistic inspiration, is learnable.”
“Need to boost sales? Transform buyers’ attitudes to the item or idea by connecting it to a celebrity.”
“One of the keys to happiness involves purposely focusing attention to the positive aspects in your life.”
“Optimal persuasion is achieved thru optimal pre-suasion; positioning people to agree with a message before knowing what’s in it.”
“Embarrassment is a villain to be crushed.”
“Mysteries can be a great pre-suasive tool. They prompt people to want to listen more deeply and retain information to solve that mystery.”
“The simple act of scheduling makes otherwise fun tasks feel like work and decreases overall enjoyment.”
“Arguing against your self-interest creates a perception of honesty and trustworthiness, putting you in a more persuasive position.”
“The behaviors you witness others getting away with will influence you to join.”
“In general, when we are unsure of ourselves, when the situation is unclear or ambiguous, when uncertainty reigns, we are most likely to look to and accept the actions of others as correct.”
“People who learn they have something significant in common like each other more, leading to more cooperation and liking.”
“Social proof occurs when people want to follow the lead of multiple, similar others.”
“What we present first changes the way people experience what we present next.”
“Observers have a greater liking for those whose facial features are easy to recognize and whose names are easy to pronounce.”
“The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost.”
“Because we know that the things that are difficult to possess are typically better than those that are easy to possess, we can often use an item’s availability to help us quickly and correctly decide on its quality.”
“Before introducing their message, a masterful pre-suader arranges to make their audience sympathetic to it.”
“In meetings, sit across the person you want to influence. A speaker in full view usually determines the outcome of a discussion.”
“Often we don’t realize that our attitude toward something has been influenced by the number of times we have been exposed to it in the past.”
“The truly gifted negotiator, then, is one whose initial position is exaggerated enough to allow for a series of concessions that will yield a desirable final offer from the opponent… yet is not so outlandish as to be seen as illegitimate from the start.”
“Once we realize that obedience to authority is mostly rewarding, it is easy to allow ourselves the convenience of automatic obedience.”
If you liked Cialdini’s quotes, check out Norman Vincent Peale’s.
